By Tony Smilevski · Updated 11 October 2026
Key points
- ClearView's PDS describes Trauma Cover as paying a lump sum if the insured person is diagnosed with a listed trauma condition, such as cancer, heart attack or stroke, that meets its definition, and survives 14 days; each insurer sets its own list of conditions and how severe each must be.[1][2][3]
- Survival periods differ: ClearView's is 14 days from the date of the injury, the diagnosis or the treatment,[4] while OnePath's for stand-alone Trauma Cover is eight days without life support after the date the trauma condition is met.[5][6]
- TAL's PDS pays nothing for some events, including cancer, heart attack and stroke, if the condition or its symptoms occurred in the first three months after the plan started, cover was increased (for the increase only) or cover was reinstated.[7][8]
- AIA's PDS pays carcinoma in situ (limited to certain sites, confirmed by histopathology) at the greater of $10,000 and 10% of the Sum Insured, with the full Sum Insured for breast carcinoma in situ in some cases (such as removal of the entire breast), and reduces the Sum Insured by any partial payment.[9]
- Zurich's and MetLife's PDSs say trauma cover can't be held inside super, and ClearView, TAL and OnePath state that their trauma cover is only available outside super.[10][11][1][12][5]
Trauma insurance, also called critical illness insurance, pays a lump sum if you have a serious condition listed in the policy, such as cancer, heart attack or stroke, and it meets the policy's definition.[1][2][3] Which conditions are listed, and how severe each must be, differs by insurer. The wording below comes from insurer product disclosure statements (PDSs).
What is trauma insurance?
ClearView's PDS says its Trauma Cover pays a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a specified trauma condition and survive 14 days from diagnosis.[1] TAL calls its version Critical Illness Insurance, which pays a benefit if you suffer a specified serious event listed in the policy.[7] AIA calls its version Crisis Recovery.[13]
ClearView says the benefit could be used to help pay for out-of-pocket medical costs and cover short-term loss of income.[1]
What does trauma insurance cover?
It covers the conditions the policy lists, at the severity the policy defines.
- TAL lists Cancer (of specified criteria), Heart Attack (of specified severity) and Stroke (resulting in neurological deficit).[14]
- ClearView Trauma Standard covers 42 trauma conditions, including cancer (excluding specified early stage cancers), heart attack and stroke. Trauma Severe Events covers 25 serious and permanent conditions, including cancer and stroke but not heart attack.[4][2][3]
- Acenda Critical Illness Standard and Critical Illness Plus both include cancer (excluding specified early stage cancers), heart attack (with evidence of heart muscle damage) and stroke (in the brain and of specified severity).[15][16]
- AIA Crisis Recovery lists cancer, heart attack, and stroke (acute) with serious functional impairment.[17]
Does trauma insurance pay in full or in part?
It depends on the condition and policy. Many listed conditions pay the full benefit amount. Some pay part, and some policies pay by severity. In the PDSs below, part payments reduce the remaining cover (for ClearView, Trauma Standard only).[7][9][18][19]
- TAL: on Critical Illness Insurance Plan Premier, the Advancement Benefit pays a portion of the benefit amount and reduces it by the amount paid.[7] For carcinoma in situ (of specified site) it pays 25% of the Benefit Amount to a maximum of $100,000, or 10% for some cervical lesions.[20]
- AIA: examples are carcinoma in situ (limited to certain sites), at the greater of $10,000 and 10% of the Sum Insured, and angioplasty (a procedure to correct a blocked heart artery) where one coronary artery is corrected, at 25% of the Sum Insured up to a maximum of $25,000. The Sum Insured is reduced by any partial payment.[9]
- ClearView: single or double vessel coronary artery angioplasty pays 25%, subject to a maximum of $50,000. In Trauma Standard, heart attack, cancer and stroke are listed at 100%.[2][3]
- OnePath Severity Trauma Cover pays in three tiers: 10% of the Trauma Benefit (maximum of $50,000 across all Severity Trauma Cover policies for the life insured, minimum of $10,000, and a $20,000 maximum for single or double vessel angioplasty and less invasive heart surgery), 50% or 100%. Its PDS gives invasive cancer of stage 2 as a tier two example, paid at 50%.[19]
What is the survival period?
It is the time you must survive after the diagnosis or event for the trauma benefit to be payable. The periods in the PDSs quoted here:
- AIA: for Crisis Recovery Stand Alone, 14 days from the date of diagnosis to be eligible for a full payment.[21]
- TAL: if Critical Illness Insurance is not attached or linked to life insurance, 14 days.[8]
- ClearView: 14 days from the date of the injury, the diagnosis or the treatment.[4]
- Zurich: for trauma cover not linked to death cover, at least 14 days after meeting the trauma condition definition.[22]
- OnePath: for stand-alone Trauma Cover, Trauma Cover attached to TPD Cover or SuperLink Trauma with TPD, eight days without life support after the date the trauma condition is met.[5][6]
How the insurers compare
- Insurer and topic: AIA: survival period — What its PDS says: 14 days from the date of diagnosis for a full payment, on Crisis Recovery Stand Alone.[21]
- Insurer and topic: TAL: survival period — What its PDS says: 14 days, if Critical Illness Insurance is not attached or linked to life insurance.[8]
- Insurer and topic: ClearView: survival period — What its PDS says: 14 days from the date of the injury, the diagnosis or the treatment.[4]
- Insurer and topic: Zurich: survival period — What its PDS says: At least 14 days after meeting the trauma condition definition, for trauma cover not linked to death cover.[22]
- Insurer and topic: OnePath: survival period — What its PDS says: Eight days without life support after the condition is met, for stand-alone Trauma Cover, Trauma Cover attached to TPD Cover or SuperLink Trauma with TPD.[5][6]
- Insurer and topic: TAL: waiting period — What its PDS says: Nothing paid for some events, including cancer, heart attack and stroke, if they occur in the first three months after start, an increase (increase only) or reinstatement.[7][8]
- Insurer and topic: AIA: waiting period — What its PDS says: Three months from when the benefit starts or is reinstated, or from an increase (increase only), for the events marked with a qualifying period, which include cancer, heart attack and stroke; waived only if your policy replaces another crisis recovery or trauma policy, the new sum insured is the same or lower, and the replaced policy's full qualifying period has passed.[17]
- Insurer and topic: ClearView: waiting period — What its PDS says: A 90 day qualifying period for cancer, heart attack and stroke; many other conditions show nil.[2][3]
- Insurer and topic: Acenda: waiting period — What its PDS says: 3 months for heart attack and stroke; for cancer, 6 months on Critical Illness Standard or 3 months on Plus.[15][16]
- Insurer and topic: OnePath: waiting period — What its PDS says: A 90 day qualifying period; a listed heart attack, stroke or cancer condition during it is never paid for, including related cancer conditions.[6]
AIA, Acenda, OnePath, TAL and ClearView each set conditions under which the waiting period is waived when cover replaces similar cover, or counted from the start of the cover being replaced.[17][15][6][8][18]
Are there waiting periods before some conditions are covered?
Yes, for some conditions. Insurers call it a waiting, qualifying or exclusion period. In the PDSs below it stops a claim for a condition that first appears or is diagnosed soon after cover starts, including cancer, heart attack and stroke.
- TAL: no payment for some events, including cancer, heart attack and stroke, if the condition or its symptoms occurred in the first three months after the plan started, cover was increased (for the increase only) or cover was reinstated.[7][8]
- AIA: three months for the events marked with a qualifying period, which include cancer, heart attack and stroke.[17]
- ClearView: a 90 day qualifying period for cancer, heart attack and stroke. Many other conditions show nil.[2][3]
- Acenda: an exclusion period of 3 months for heart attack and stroke, and for cancer 6 months on Critical Illness Standard or 3 months on Plus.[15][16]
- OnePath: a 90 day qualifying period. If the life insured suffers a listed heart attack, stroke or cancer condition during it, OnePath says it will not pay for that condition at any time over the life of the policy. For the listed cancer conditions, this includes related conditions.[6]
AIA, Acenda, OnePath, TAL and ClearView each set conditions under which the period is waived when cover replaces similar cover, or counted from the start of the cover being replaced.[17][15][6][8][18]
What is the difference between stand-alone and linked trauma insurance?
Attached or linked trauma insurance is packaged with other cover, such as life insurance; stand-alone is not. TAL's PDS says a claim on a standalone plan won't reduce another standalone plan, but a claim on an attached or linked plan reduces the benefit amount of the others. Attached plans have the same policy owner(s) and are issued under one policy. Linked plans have different policy owners and are issued under multiple policies.[23]
- Cost: Acenda's PDS says its extension structure costs less than stand-alone insurance because a claim reduces the insurance it is attached to.[24]
- If life cover is cancelled: TAL cancels attached critical illness cover with it unless you tell TAL in writing to keep it as a standalone plan. Linked cover becomes standalone.[25]
- Restoring life cover (optional): under TAL's Double Critical Illness Option, paying 100% of the Critical Illness Insurance Benefit Amount doesn't reduce the Life Insurance Benefit Amount.[7] Acenda's Double Benefit, available with Critical Illness Plus as an extension to Life Cover, restores life cover if you survive 14 days after the benefit is paid.[24]
Can I hold trauma insurance in super, and is it tax deductible?
Not in the PDSs quoted here. Zurich's PDS says trauma cover can't be held in superannuation, as trauma benefits aren't aligned with the superannuation payment rules under superannuation law.[10] MetLife's PDS says that due to superannuation law, Trauma Cover cannot be held inside superannuation.[11] ClearView, TAL and OnePath state that their trauma cover is only available outside super.[1][12][5]
Some insurers let trauma cover held outside super be linked to life or TPD cover inside super (how insurance in super works).[5][23]
On tax, the ATO's income protection page gives "trauma insurance premiums" and "critical care insurance premiums" as examples of premiums you can't claim a deduction for.[26] Tax treatment depends on circumstances, so a registered tax agent or accountant can say how it applies to you. See our tax deductibility guide.
How is trauma insurance different from TPD, income protection and life insurance?
They cover different events. TAL's PDS describes them this way:
- Trauma (critical illness) insurance pays a benefit if you suffer a specified serious event listed in the policy.[7]
- TPD insurance pays if you become totally and permanently disabled, as the policy defines it.[27] See our TPD insurance guide.
- Income protection provides a benefit if you suffer a loss of income due to a sickness or injury.[28] See our income protection guide.
- Life insurance is payable on death or a terminal illness.[29] See our life insurance guide.
What does a serious illness cost?
Zurich, an insurer, has published research on the cost of ill health in two volumes called The Cost of Care. The first is dated 15 September 2018.[30] The figures are estimates, not a forecast for any person. We haven't adjusted, added or compared them.
The first volume defines "lifetime cost" as "the expected costs over the person's lifetime from diagnosis to death", including out-of-pocket expenses and a reduction in income. It says the average lifetime cost for cancer sufferers aged 15 years and older can range from $20,360 for melanoma to $95,460 for head, neck and thyroid cancers.[31]
The second volume says it updates the first, and that it indexed dollar values reported before 2022 for inflation.[32] Its figures:
- Heart attack: lifetime cost of $95,728.[33]
- Stroke: lifetime cost of $37,043, made up of $27,916 in-home support, $8,917 productivity cost and $210 aids, equipment and home modifications.[34]
Do I need trauma insurance?
We can't tell you whether you need it. That depends on your own circumstances, and this page doesn't take them into account.
What to weigh:
- It pays for listed conditions that meet the policy's definition. Zurich's PDS says it doesn't "cover all traumatic health events".[22]
- PPS Mutual's target market determination (TMD), which says who a product is designed for, describes people with financial commitments, such as debts, out-of-pocket medical costs not covered by Medicare or health insurance, and income replacement, that wouldn't be met if they had a trauma event.[35]
- In the PDSs below, it pays the full amount once. AIA's PDS says Crisis Recovery ceases once the full Sum Insured is paid, and can be reinstated if you selected the Crisis Reinstatement Optional Extra.[21] OnePath says it pays the full Trauma Cover amount once only.[5] TAL's optional Critical Illness Reinstatement Option lets you repurchase cover in 12 months' time, up to the amount paid, on the option's conditions and any special conditions or loadings on the original plan.[7] The repurchased cover won't pay for the same or a related condition, and excludes some others, such as a cancer condition after a cancer claim.[8]
- Cover ends at a set age. ClearView's Trauma Cover has an expiry age of 70. TAL's plan end date is the policy anniversary before the 70th birthday.[1][7]
- Premiums are ongoing. PPS Mutual's TMD says its trauma product is fully underwritten, and underwriting could result in a higher price, limits on the sum insured, special terms or declined cover.[36] See our pre-existing conditions guide.
How do I claim on trauma insurance?
A claim needs a diagnosis confirmed by a medical practitioner, and the condition must meet the policy's severity criteria. TAL's PDS says both are required for a benefit to be payable.[7] AIA's PDS says the event and diagnosis date must be confirmed in writing by a medical practitioner or legally qualified pathologist.[17] Our claims guide explains the process.
Questions to ask before you choose
- Which conditions are listed, and what severity does each definition require?
- Which conditions pay in part, and does a part payment reduce the remaining cover?
- What is the survival period, and does it apply to this structure?
- Which conditions have a waiting, qualifying or exclusion period, and what if a condition first appears in it?
- Is the cover stand-alone or linked? What happens to each cover after a claim or a cancellation?
- Can cover be restored or bought back after a claim, and on what conditions?
- Is the cover held outside super? If it is linked to cover in super, how does that work?
- Are the premiums variable age-stepped or variable (once called stepped and level), and can the insurer change them?
- At what age does the cover end?
Read the insurer's PDS and TMD before deciding. You can find them in our PDS and TMD library. We deal with 11 Australian life insurers. For general information about anything in this guide, book a time with Tony or call 0433 22 77 11.
Sources
- [1] ClearView ClearChoice Combined PDS (Aug 2026), PDF page 15.
- [2] ClearView ClearChoice Combined PDS (Aug 2026), PDF page 51.
- [3] ClearView ClearChoice Combined PDS (Aug 2026), PDF page 52.
- [4] ClearView ClearChoice Combined PDS (Aug 2026), PDF page 50.
- [5] OnePath OneCare PDS (Mar 2026), PDF page 40.
- [6] OnePath OneCare PDS (Mar 2026), PDF page 41.
- [7] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 9.
- [8] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 25.
- [9] AIA Priority Protection and Priority Protection for Platform Investors PDS (Aug 2026), PDF page 66.
- [10] Zurich Wealth Protection PDS and policy conditions (Nov 2025), PDF page 67.
- [11] MetLife Protect and Combined PDS / Policy Terms (Nov 2025), PDF page 26.
- [12] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 22.
- [13] AIA Priority Protection and Priority Protection for Platform Investors PDS (Aug 2026), PDF page 62.
- [14] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 23.
- [15] Acenda Insurance and Acenda Insurance (Super) PDS (Apr 2026), PDF page 34.
- [16] Acenda Insurance and Acenda Insurance (Super) PDS (Apr 2026), PDF page 35.
- [17] AIA Priority Protection and Priority Protection for Platform Investors PDS (Aug 2026), PDF page 65.
- [18] ClearView ClearChoice Combined PDS (Aug 2026), PDF page 55.
- [19] OnePath OneCare PDS (Mar 2026), PDF page 44.
- [20] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 24.
- [21] AIA Priority Protection and Priority Protection for Platform Investors PDS (Aug 2026), PDF page 64.
- [22] Zurich Wealth Protection PDS and policy conditions (Nov 2025), PDF page 19.
- [23] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 15.
- [24] Acenda Insurance and Acenda Insurance (Super) PDS (Apr 2026), PDF page 64.
- [25] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 26.
- [26] Australian Taxation Office, Income protection insurance (retrieved 30 September 2026).
- [27] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 8.
- [28] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 11.
- [29] TAL Accelerated Protection Combined PDS and Policy Document (Dec 2025), PDF page 7.
- [30] Zurich The Cost of Care Volume 1 (Sep 2018), PDF page 55.
- [31] Zurich The Cost of Care Volume 1 (Sep 2018), PDF page 5.
- [32] Zurich The Cost of Care Volume 2, PDF page 6.
- [33] Zurich The Cost of Care Volume 2, PDF page 45.
- [34] Zurich The Cost of Care Volume 2, PDF page 48.
- [35] PPS TMD Trauma-Insurance (Sep 2026), PDF page 3.
- [36] PPS TMD Trauma-Insurance (Sep 2026), PDF page 4.
Just so you know, Tony Insurance operates under Sustainable Life Solutions (AFSL 536966) and can only give general advice about life insurance. That means we'll tell you what you need to know for you to make a good decision, but we can't give you specific advice or recommendations. It also means that everything on our website is only general information and isn't specific to you.
Toni Smilevski, Authorised Representative 343156 of Sustainable Life Solutions Pty Ltd (AFSL 536966)